Geography

Geography teaches an understanding of places and environments. Through their work in geography, children learn about their local area and compare their life in this area with that in other regions in the United Kingdom and in the rest of the world. They learn how to draw and interpret maps and they develop the skills of research, investigation, analysis and problem-solving. Through their growing knowledge and understanding of human geography, children gain an appreciation of life in other cultures. Geography teaching also motivates children to find out about the physical world and enables them to recognize the importance of sustainable development for the future of mankind.

The aims of geography are:

•to enable children to gain knowledge & understanding of places in the world and of how places can change;

•to increase children’s knowledge of other cultures and, in so doing, teach a respect and understanding of what it means to be a positive citizen in a multi-cultural country;

•to allow children to learn graphic skills, including how to use, draw and interpret maps;

•to enable children to know and understand environmental problems at a local, regional and global level;

•to encourage in children a commitment to sustainable development and an appreciation of what ‘global citizenship’ means;

•to develop a variety of other skills, including those of enquiry, problem solving, IT, investigation and how to present their conclusions in the most appropriate way.